Beverage brewing device



Oct. 13, 1942. l F. E. woLcoT'r v `2,298,854 7 I I l I BEVERAGE BREWING DEVICE I Filed Feb. 18, 1939 Patented carla, 1942.l

BEVERAGE BREWING DEVICE Frank E. Wolcott, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to The Silex Company, a corporation of Connecticut Appueatien February' 1s, 1939, serial Ne. 257,215,

s oleime. (ci. ss-al .My invention relates to beverage brewing devices.

It has among its objects to provide an improved brewing device for beverages wherein hot Water is poured over the beverage material in an im-` proved manner, and, more particularly, such an improved device which is especiallyl adapted to use inbrewing tea, but also adapted to use with coiee. A furtherv object of my invention is to provide such a device of an improved construction and having improved flow controlling means adapted automatically upon heating and cooling the lower or waterbowl to control the ilow .between the water bowl and an upper beverage material containing or infusion bowl and to provide a quick free flow of very hot wateron top ofthe beverage material in the upper bowl for infusion therein and, after yan infusion of the desired length, eiect an automatic and quickreturn of the liquid beverage to the water bowl for dispensing from the latter; A still frther object of my invention is to provide such an improved construction adapted to utilize certain of the elements of a standard vacuum type coiee maker, while requiring `only special construction of the strainer element thereof and a minor Fig. e is a" perspective view of thisspraying and strainer unit with the partsfin separated relation one above the other; c

change in the stem of the upper bowl, and having `improved means for' eiecting and controlling the flow between the bowls. Still further objects of my invention are to provide an improved combined spraying and straining unit, improved means for by-passing the straining means and delivering the hot water into the upper bowl at ating means for veilecting the desired automatic q a point above the beverage material, and also and-quick return of the brew through the straino er mechanism as a result of the vacuum created in the lower bowl as the latter cools. Other objects and advantages of my improved 'coning device of my improved form seated on an electric stove, certain partsw'being broken away to facilitate illustration;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of one form of my improved combined spraying and draining unit and the adjacent parts of the device; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

i of the unit. v

In ,this illustrative construction, I have shown Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the covering of the parts with enamel, and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a modified construction including a valve on theupper end a brewing device seated on a suitableelectric stove S and including a lower bowl I and an upper bowl 2 having a stem 3 extending through a suitable seal! into the neck 5 ofthe lower bowl, while a straining mechanism,- generally indicated at 6, is seated in the' mouth l of the stem 3; improved hot water spraying means and spray controlling means hereinafter described here# in being associated with the lstrainer mechanism and the stem 3.

Referring more particularly to mechanism, itl will be noted that the same is generally of the unit type described in my copending applicationSerial No.'` 238,207, led Nov. 1, 1938, including a cup basket 8 having radial inclinedslots or openings 8a and carried on and clamped Ibetween cooperating weighted rod sections 9 and I0 threaded together and coaxial with thebasket and cooperating therewith toipress' the latter against a strainer disc ll disposed over the mouth` l of the stem 3. Herein, however, it will be -observed that this unit carries improved bowll above the Ibeverage material .therein.

`Referring more particularly to my improved construction, it will Ibe observed that the members 9 and III are provided with an axial hot warod section I0 substantially to thetop ofthe rod section `9.' Further, this passage l2 communi-` cates with the interior of the upper bowl 2 near the top of ro'd section 3 by `means `of any-suitable number of radially located'ports or openel ings I3, herein six,` disposed beneath a closed top FFICEY:

the straining -ter passage I2 extending from the bottom of the i I4 on'the rod section 9. As a result of thisv conj struction, it willbe observed that a passage of" considerable capacity is provided up `through theA strainer disc Il `through vwhich the liquid may pass without imoving through the'strainer disc ,Y

Il. Further, it will beobse'r'ved that duetothe.

provisionwfthe portals, this uquiq Lvente` eistributed from the' 'tepjof the red section s in the form o! jets spraying over the top of the brewing material which is disposed in the bowl 2 over the lter cup 8 and lter disc II.

Cooperating with this structure is also improved means adapted to control and time the flow of the hot water through the passage I2. Herein, this means assumes the form of a suitable small opening I5, herein a so-called pin- Ihole, in the stem 3. As shown, this opening I is located at a point just below the bottom of the seal 4 and above the initial water level in the bowl I. By reason of the provision of this opening I5, it is made possible for the steam and pressure initially developed in the bowl I above the liquid therein, to escape from the bowl I as the latter is heated, and to pass up through the strainer disc II, until a predetermined limit is reached, whereupon, the opening I5 being unable longer to carry ol the steam, the then, boiling water passes up through the passage I2 and is delivered radially through the ports I3 on to the top of the beverage material in the upper bowl.

In the operation of my improved construction, as in a usual vacuum type coffee maker,v the beverage material is placed in the upper bowl 2 above the strainer member 8 and the water in the lower bowl I, the combined spraying and straining unit then being disposed in the position shown in Figure 1. When the lower bowl I is heated by the stove S, the initial steam and pressure in the latter bowl is allowed to escape as heretofore described through the opening I5. When, however, the pressure above the water in the bowl I builds up to a predetermined extent, i. e. when the water therein is actually boiling and very hot, this water surges upward through the closed pipe provided by the passage I2, rather than through the strainer disc II, in such manner as to produce a spray of this very hot liquid through the ports I3 in upper rod section 9 over the brewing material in the bottom of the bowl 2. In practice, the opening I5 and the passages I2 and I3 are Aso related that for a substantial time during the heating of the lower bowl I, there is no liquid iow upward through the strainer II. However, as pressure builds up sufficiently to cause the water just to begin -to appear in the bottom of the strainer cup 8, a

` sudden fast ilow of very hot water emerges from the aperturesl or ports I3 and flow through the strainer stops. This flow through the port I3 continues until no more water can pass up from the bowl I to the bowl 2. Thereupon, the bowl I is permitted to cool in a usual manner,

as, for example, by turning o the current orV removing the same from the stove S. Then, the brewed beverage in the bowl 2, after a normal infusion period, is returned automatically and quickly to the lower bowl I as aaresult of the vacuum condition therein, and, after removal of the upper bowl 2 with the combined spraying and straining unit therein, dispensed from the bowl I in a usual manner.

In Figure 6 I have shown a modied structure4 including an automatically acting valve disposed above the ports I3 and carried on the combined straining and spraying unit. In this y"construction, it will be observed that a ball valve seat I8 having an opening I8 therein, is provided in the passage I2 through the upper rod section 9 at a point just below the'ports I3. Further, a suitable ball I1, preferably formed of light material 'such as glass or porcelain, normally rests on this seat and closes communicationbetween the interior of the lower bowl I and the atmosphere. It will also be noted that there is an extension I8 on the section 9 above the ports I3, and that a suitable removable closure I9 is suitably threaded, as at 20, in the upper end of this extension, this closure preferably having a ilange 2| to facilitate turning the same. dent that the valve opening I6 will be closed until sufficient pressure has been built up in the stem to lift the ball I1, and that the ball will then suddenly be lifted up and ride upon the upwardly flowing jet of liquid which passes through the valve seat and owing out in separate streams through the ports I3. Further, it will be apparent that when this ilow ceases, the ball II will automatically resume its normal position on the seat I6 closing the opening I6' therein, thereby preventing the entry of air into the lower bowl I. As a result of this construction, any tendency for cool air to pass down through the tube while the lower bowl I is cooling, with resultant disturbance of the vacuum in that bowl in such manner as to prevent the return of all of the brewed liquid to,V that bowl, is overcome irrespective of whether the cover C is on or off of the upper bowl. Obviously, through variations in the weight of the ball, the time of operation of the jet may be varied, as desired.

As a result of my improved construction, it is made possible to obtain the eiect of pouring very hot water over the brewing material which is particularly desired in brewing tea. Also, it is made possible to obtain a new and desirable `sudden pouring action and an improved timing of the infusion. More particularly, through my improved timing and control of this spray, it is made possible to eliminate the gradual surging up of the liquid through the strainer and thereby very closely to reproduce the effect of suddenly pouring very hot water from a kettle upon the brewing material which herein is disposed above the strainer. At the same time that these advantages are obtained, it is also made possible to continue I tain the automatic return of the brewed beviage after a normal infusion without requiring the provision of any additional structure in the upper bowl other than that carried by the strainer unit, and further to eliminate all necessity for any manual operation in order to eect the return ofthe brewed beverage after infusion in the upper bowl. Attention is further directed to the fact that with my improved construction, it is possible to utilize various parts of a standard vacuum type coffee maker, with only inexpensive changes in the weighted strainer carrying rod thereof, and in the stem of the upper bowl, all in such manner as to enable my improved construction to be produced very inexpensively. Obviously, the entire combined strainer and spraying unit can also'still be enameled if desired, as shown in Figure 5, and the parts of this unit can also be made of various materials other than the metal illustrated, if desired, while being suitably weighted to obtain the eilect of metal. These and other advantages of my improvements will, however, be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art. l

While I have in this application specically described two embodiments which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that these forms ol' the same areshown for purposes of illustration, and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms In this construction, it will be evi- I without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim `as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. For a beverage brewer of the character de` of near-said end, a lower section threaded to said upper section, and a cup-shaped slotted member secured between parallel abutting surfaces on said upper and, lower sections.

3. For, a beverage brewer of the character described, a device comprising a tubular bar including an upper anda lower section, vthe upper section being closed at one endl thereof and having orifices radiating from its interior, the lower section being threaded to said upper section and having a shoulder spaced from the bottom of saidv upper section, and acup-shaped member secured between said shoulder and bottom.v

FRANK E. WOLCO'IT. 

